How do I stop spreading bamboo?

The Birmingham News



Stopping spread of bamboo can be difficult to do


Saturday, February 10, 2007



Bamboo spreads by underground stems called rhizomes. Clumping bamboos have short rhizomes and spread slowly, but running bamboos produce very long rhizomes which give rise to leaf stalks called culms far from the main clump. To prevent a running bamboo from spreading, a "rhizome barrier" is essential.



A barrier two to three feet deep is effective. It should be slanted at a 45-degree angle outward at the top so that when the rhizomes hit the barrier, they will bend upward. A barrier does not stop a running rhizome, it only deflects it. The barrier should project an inch or two above ground level. Check the barrier once a year, and cut off rhizomes that arch over the top.



Barriers can be concrete, metal or plastic. The usual recommendation is high density polypropylene, 40 mil or heavier, glued or taped at junctions or clamped with stainless steel clamps. This material comes in rolls or as hinged sections, and is available from some landscape suppliers or bamboo nurseries, frequently termed "root barrier." More elaborate barriers with corner posts that hold material at the proper angle are also available.



To remove the bamboo that has grown into your yard, first cut the underground rhizomes where they enter from an adjacent property. They usually grow in the top foot of soil and can be cut with a spade, mattock or saw. If only a few rhizomes and culms are present, they can be removed. A large mass of bamboo can be killed by cutting off all the culms at ground level and continually removing new culms as they appear. Preventing any foliage growth will deplete the plant's stored food and eventually kill the clump, although the clump may take a year or more to die.



The herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) can also be used to kill bamboo. A concentrated solution can be painted on the end of culms immediately after they are cut, or foliage can be sprayed with a diluted solution if nearby plants will not be damaged by the spray drift. Glyphosate is absorbed by plant tissue and transported within the plant. The herbicide inhibits new growth, but more than one treatment may be required to kill well-established clumps of bamboo. Remember to treat the stumps with glyphosate quickly after they take the bamboo out, and eventually the problem will be eliminated.



For complete article see:


http://www.al.com/living/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/living/1171103
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